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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bank — of a river
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pound — a weight
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bass — low music
  11. clip — for paper
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. clip — to cut
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — a tool
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bank — for money
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. clip — a video
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com